How I love pawpaw's, or papayas — honestly not sure what the more common name is! I'm not quite sure how the tropical fruit made its way to Zimbabwe, but it's a beloved fruit over there. I think at one point; my family has a tree in the garden. I love papaya because it's highly refreshing and inherently sweet but in a subtle way. The water content is also pretty high, so that's good for you. Pawpaws (yes, I will use them interchangeably!) are a lot more versatile than I think people give it credit for; hence why I decided to pair them with banana and am so glad I did!

Banana bread is popular throughout the year. It became one of the most baked and searched for recipes during the quarantine, and with spring coming along this side of the hemisphere, there's no end in sight, and it's making a resurgence.

I decided to combine the classic banana bread, something I've always loved, with pawpaw -- one of my favourite fruits.

It's delicious great with a cup of tea or coffee, or you put a scoop of ice cream over it too or eat it as it is, maybe with a little bit of butter or whipped cream whatever your preference is, it's excellent.

I think the cherry on top for this recipe is the pecan streusel. The buttery, caramelized taste of the pecans mixed with dark brown sugar is to die for, and in some ways, similar to coffee cake. Regardless of what you eat it with, you will enjoy it!

Ingredients

1/2 large papaya mashed + 1/2 cup chopped (1 whole fruit should suffice)

1 1/4 sticks butter (10 tablespoons), melted

2 cups self-raising flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large banana, mashed

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup light brown sugar

Streusel:

3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and light brown sugar, set aside.

In a small bowl, mash and mix the half portion of the pawpaw, the banana, the vanilla, and the beaten eggs.

Toast and chop the pecans if they are not ready-to-go, mix them into the flour bowl with the chopped papaya, butter (10 tablespoons), and egg mixture. Combine well with a spatula.

While your batter rests for a few minutes, prepare your streusel. Mix the second batch of pecans with dark brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and two tablespoons of butter.

Spray a loaf tin (9 inches by 4 inches - if you have the 8-inch tin, there will be leftover batter—you don’t want to fill it to be brim as the bread is going to rise and expand).

Spoon and spread your streusel on top of the batter. Try to distribute this evenly, then place the loaf pan on a baking tray (this will catch any spillage that may occur).

Bake for 60 minutes at 400F, checking periodically after at least 30 minutes have passed.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Serve warm with tea or coffee, and enjoy! Consume in 3-4 days or freeze airtight or wrapped in clear film for up to a month.